Restaurateur Arash Mehdi is a man with a plan. When the former corporate employee moved to Hyderabad from Dubai, almost a year ago, he had already made up his mind to open an eatery with brother Abdul Moiz. After a year and a half of planning, they set up the Sofrehh Persian Bistro in Jubilee Hills that offers sandwiches made of artisanal Italian bread and Persian filling. “The name of the place is derived from the Persian word called sofra, which means a huge spread of food on the floor,” says Arash as, he ushers us.
From Persia, with love
“While travelling to India from Iran last year, my mom brought home some sandwiches that her sister had packed for the journey. When I tasted it, I knew that this is exactly the kind of sandwich I want to serve,” continues Arash. No wonder that the chefs and the recipes are supervised by his mom, Minoo Naseeruddin. This outlet does not want to cave into populist demands. Hence, if you are looking for French fries or chips as sides, you might want to stay away from this bistro. Also, Arash is strict about playing jazz at Sofrehh. “Where can you find another place in Hyderabad that plays good jazz?” he asks. He was also particular that the sandwiches he serves are big, something that even Joey from Friends would approve of!
Picture perfect
The bistro has a minimal setup but it is quirky to the hilt. A discarded Tata Winger (a multi utility passenger vehicle) was converted into a kiosk-like set up with cane tables and chairs under a string of bulbs hanging on spartan wires. You can’t resist but take your phones out to capture their picturesque walls, with vintage windows and geraniums that were picked up from an antique seller in the Old City. The Tata Winger resembles a mobile home with glass panes etched in Iranian style, inspired by the blue and white mosques of Iran.
What’s cookin’?
Famished post our chat session, we were eager to see what was coming up on the table. First was the Cutty Murgh Sandwich, loaded with herbed chicken patties. Artisanal and preservative-free olive bread is used for this sandwich which tastes fresh and goes perfectly well with the patty that was succulent to the core. We suggest that you take your time and also relish your creamy and thick Batsam Cappuccino like we did. Those who enjoy lamb might want to try their Kubideh comprising tangy lamb patties. The Veg Falafel Sandwich made of chickpeas and potato filling were a tad dry but the generous dose of mayo and veggies sprinkled on top balanced it out well. Most of their offerings have a homemade pickle in common which adds a hint of tang. Our evening binge came to an end with a sweet finish from their with homemade marmalade section. The Moraba-yeh-Seeb or the apple marmalade preserve had us going in for second and third spoonfuls. As we got ready to leave, we knew that it was a Persian experience we would want to revisit pretty soon!
Price for two: Rs 600.
Pictures by R Satish Babu